Scotland residents and the town's first selectman are raising concerns over a recently opened mental health facility run by Norwich-based Reliance House, saying the nonprofit failed to notify nearby property owners about the program.

Two of the three people living at the 238 Huntington Road home, known as the Supported Living Program – North Region, are registered sex offenders, according to the state's registry.

“I didn't know anything about it until residents started to come into my office,” First Selectman Daniel Syme said. “It's pretty obvious we all have concerns, and I have residents who want their questions answered.

That will happen on May 1, when a town meeting is scheduled with the Board of Selectmen, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the town attorney, Reliance House representatives and law enforcement to go over the program and hear from residents.

Planning and zoning Chairman Gary Greenberg could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

“For something like this to have just shown up is disturbing,” said Wendy Sears, whose home is about 100 feet from the Reliance House program. “For me, it's a lack of information that creates fear.”

Sears has twin 3-year-olds and a 13-year-old.

David Burnett, Reliance House's CEO, said his organization purchased the house about a month ago and began leasing it to the state Department of Developmental Services. It's a well-established, decades-long practice that has never resulted in any problems, Burnett added.

“We've run programs with forensically involved people for about 30 years now without one adverse incident over that time,” Burnett said.

According to a fact sheet issued by Reliance House that will be distributed at next Thursday's meeting, each person living in the Scotland residence is monitored 24/7 by 15 full-time employees who rotate through the facility. The program defines itself as serving those “with intellectual disabilities who require intensive, ongoing support to meet their own needs. ... and (have) additional mental health-related diagnoses.”s

However, Burnett acknowledged that officials should have taken steps to inform nearby property owners before launching the program.

“It's hard to know what to do. If you talk to people, sometimes you alarm them. And if you don't talk to people, that can alarm them too,” he said. “Whenever we open a facility, there are concerns in the community, and in every case, with time, people become comfortable with us and learn we are in fact good neighbors, and we will be in this case as well.”

Joan Barnish, a spokeswoman for the state's developmental services department, said Reliance House is a “qualified provider” for the agency.

Theresa Lambert, a mother of two young girls, said she also worries that her town of about 1,700 is not covered by a resident state trooper.

Page 2 of 2 - “We live in a community where my kids can just go out and play in the yard,” she said. “I still let them play in the yard, but I have changed the practices about how they're allowed to play. The fears I have are now accelerated with this house here.”

Burnett said Reliance House's record of success should allay the fears some have.

“We know what we're doing. We're seasoned, we have a very good track record and we are respected by state funding agencies because we do a very good job,” he said. “In some cases we have gone around to neighbors. Perhaps in this case we should have, and I welcome that opportunity on May 1.”